Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. This chapter isn't it? It's a vivid and a dark illustration of Satan's attempt to exterminate the people of God. Gonna need doubt. About the evil of our enemy, Esther III removes all doubt.
Welcome to the verdict with Pastor John Monroe, Senior Pastor at Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Jewish nation has been persecuted for generations. Satan hates and opposes God's chosen people. Today, we're seeing history in a different way as we learn more about the plot to exterminate the Jews as we continue in Esther.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe with his lesson titled, Satan Hates the Jews. Continuing the story of Esther, we saw last time. that there is an ongoing battle between right and wrong. between good and evil. between heaven and hell.
between God and Satan. and we see this battle very sharply in the Book of Esther. God takes this Jewish young woman. who becomes the queen in Persia. But there are forces, evil forces at work, personified in Haman, who hates Mordecai and all of the Jews.
He doesn't realize that Esther herself is Jewish. Listen carefully today. As we see Haman planning to destroy all of the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom. of Ahasuerus. He's pursuing genocide.
But God Is watching over the nation of Israel, which has been persecuted like no other nation throughout human history. Verse 1. Notice, the king advanced Haman and set his throne above all of the officials who were with him. He becomes, in effect, prime minister. There's the king, and next to the king is this man, Haman.
second only to King Ahasuerus throughout the immense empire.
So first of all he's elevated. In verses 2 through 5 he is provoked. Verse 2. And all of the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman. And I'm sure he loved every moment of it.
Can you just picture him? For the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai Don't you love this man? Didn't bow down. or pay homage.
Then the king's servants, who were at the king's gate, said to Mordecai, Why do you transgress the king's command? And when they spoke to him day after day, and he would not listen to them, they told Haman in order to see whether Mordecai's words would stand. For he had told them This is interesting. He had told them that he was a Jew.
Now here then, the writer is telling us that Haman This evil man Was an enemy of the Jews. He's anti-Semitic. Look down at verse 10, at the end of verse 10. Notice what it says. About Haman, the Agagite, the son of.
Hamad Asa. The enemy of the Jews. That's significant, isn't it? He is the enemy. of the Jews.
And Mordecai is certainly not going to bow to the implacable enemy of the Jewish people. Mordecai like Saul comes from the tribe of Benjamin. We've seen that earlier. He would be very, very familiar with the story of Agag the Amalekite. And perhaps Mordecai had told the story to the king's officials.
And when Mordecai, in my view, commentators dispute this, but in my view, when Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, Haman is, did you notice verse 5? He is filled with fury. What's he going to do? What's his plan? Verse 6 through 15.
First of all, his plot. From verses six through Nine. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. He's going to bide his time.
So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, came and sought. to destroy all the Jews. The people of Mordecai throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus. Doesn't want to just kill one man, one Jewish man, he wants to wipe out. All of the Jews.
In the first month, which is the month of Nisan. Great name for a car, wouldn't it? In the 12th year of King Ahasuerus, they cast pure, that is, they cast lots before Haman day after day. And he cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, Can you hear the evil?
There's a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among all the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they don't keep the king's laws, so that it is not to the king's profit to tolerate them. If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed. Think of what he's saying. And I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king's business that they may put it into the king's.
Treasuries. He wants to commit genocide. He planned he is planning a Holocaust. to wipe the Jewish nation From the face of the earth with an evil, wicked man. He doesn't know, however.
That the very course which he's embarking on is going to result in disaster. for himself. Do you really think you can oppose God? Do you really think? That you can continue to rebel against God and win?
Is this man so foolish? Didn't he know the history of his people? Didn't he know the history of the Jewish people to that point? Do you think you'd ever heard of the Abrahamic covenant where God promises Genesis 12, verse 3, I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you, I will curse you. curse.
Haman, do you want to get God's judgment on you? This evil man, did you notice that this evil man here is superstitious? And he seeks guidance from astrology. And here, verse 7, he casts lot. Pure is the Persian word for lot.
But even in the casting of the lots by this evil man, We see the sovereign hand of God. Is God so great that you can throw a dice and God can bring up the right number at the right time? Of course, he can. I don't know what kind of lots they were casting here as they kept doing it. Haman, as he was plotting and conspiring against the Jews.
Proverbs sixteen, verse thirty three says, The lot is cast into the lamp. But it but it's every decision is from the Lord. Isn't that great to have God on your side? God can oversee. The throwing of a dice.
God can oversee the casting of a lot. And these lots, these pureem were like dice. And the day selected for the genocide was about a year ahead. which gave the Jewish people time to prepare for the coming Holocaust. It's wonderful to know, isn't it, when we think that God will take care of us, that God not only is over the control of the events.
God is in control of the timing of events. You think back in your life, isn't it?
Something which just seemed a coincidence. Just meeting someone at the right time. The exact timing. is in the hands Of the Lord. Yes, in spite of the opposition, God always cares for his people.
Now, Haman goes to the king. And without mentioning who these people are, He explains to the king that there are people throughout the kingdom, notice how manipulative they are, that they're different from the rest of everyone, they don't observe the king's laws, they act against the king's interests, and the best thing that you can do, O king, is to wipe them out, and if you give me the authority, I'll arrange it. And um By the way, here's ten thousand talents. of silver, a huge amount, a bribe. And the king is motivated by greed.
And this king who we already saw was so foolish in chapter 1. makes not only a foolish mistake, but a deadly one. And he gives the proclamation in verses 10 through 15. Verse 10: So the king took his signet ring from his hand, gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hamadatha, the enemy. of the Jews.
And the king said to him, And the money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you. You've got my total authority. Go ahead. Here's my signet ring. Then the king's scribes were summoned on the 13th day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king's satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script, and every people in its own language.
It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet ring. Who's got this signet ring? Haman. Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction. Notice this.
to destroy to kill. And to annihilate all Jews, young and old, children, women, and children. In one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the peoples to be ready for that day. The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king and the decree was issued in Susa, the citadel.
And the king and Haman sat down to drink. But the city of Susa was thrown. into confusion. The Persian Empire at this time was generally tolerant of ethnic and religious differences. And so it was very surprising that the king agreed to this hate-filled request from Haman.
And this signet ring functioned like A signature. And so Hayman is given Total authority. To annihilate the Jews and to take all of their goods, to do As he pleased. But again I say at the end of verse 10. Notice the writer puts this in, which is so significant, he is the enemy.
of the Jews. And the king writes this proclamation to all of the people, each in their own language. And this vast, vast empire. The letters are sent by the couriers with this chilling. Death sentence, verse 13.
To destroy. to kill. And to annihilate all the Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day. And the day is selected. and to plunder their goods.
And this hide, verse 14, the force of law. No wonder the capital of Susa is thrown into confusion. But in contrast, King Ahasuerus and Haman go to the local pub and sit down for a drink. In the middle of hate, In the middle of conspiracy to murder. These men at this point seem At peace.
Now what do we say about this as I make a few comments?
Well This chapter isn't it? It's a vivid and a dark illustration of Satan's attempt To exterminate the people of God. If you're going to need doubt, About the evil of our enemy, Esther 3 removes all doubt. A foolish king. at the instigation of an evil man, Motivated by Satan, agrees to exterminate a whole race, God's chosen people, the Jewish nation.
Haman is an agent, an instrument of Satan. seeking to thwart the eternal purposes of God. In a sense, he is a mini Antichrist. He's a precursor of the Antichrist who during the tribulation period, we saw this during our study of Revelation, will seek to exterminate the Jewish nation and all those who don't have the mark of the beast. But scripture says John 4, verse 22, salvation.
It's from the Jews. But when the Messiah comes, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is He? He is the Son of David, He is the Son of Abraham, and He comes from the tribe of Judah. Salvation is coming from the Jews. Here is God's eternal plan for sinners to be saved: that He will send.
His deliverer, his Savior, His Messiah, His Anointed One, our Lord Jesus Christ. And He's going to come as the Son of David, the Son of Abraham from the tribe. of Judah. And if you know your Bibles, you know. And if you know something about history, throughout biblical history and throughout world history, Satan has repeatedly attempted to thwart God's Plan of salvation, right back from Genesis 3, verse 15.
Think of Pharaoh trying to kill The baby boy is an ancient. Egypt at the time of Moses. Think of Haman here around 475 BC trying to. Exterminate the whole Jewish race race. In 168 BC, Antiochus Epiphanus killed 80,000 Jews trying to exterminate Judaism.
He erected an image of Zeus, the Greek god, in the temple in Jerusalem. What happened in AD 70? The Roman army marched. into Jerusalem and killed over a million Jews and scattered the remaining Jews to the four corners. of the earth.
No other nation in the history of the world Has so consistently been persecuted and so hated as the Jewish nation. You say, why? Why is that? Because Satan hates. The Jew.
Satan hates the Jewish nation. Satan hates God's chosen people. In World War II there was the systematic extermination of Jews during the Holocaust. Approximately six Million. Yes, six million Jews.
1.5 million of them children. were slaughtered. Many gas in the extermination camps in Auschwitz, Dekau, Treblinka and others. What hatred? What cruelty.
against innocent People. You say, well, John, it's a long time since World War II.
Well, really, not all that long in terms of world history, quite recently, actually. But the hatred and the persecution against the Jewish nation continues to this day, doesn't it? Esther chapter 3 is an ancient scripture. I understand that. Two thousand five hundred years ago Long time ago.
Satan hasn't changed. And this hatred of the Jewish nation hasn't hasn't changed. And present-day Israel occupies A tiny, tiny part. of real estate in the Middle East. When God chose the promised land.
The land that he promised to Abraham was a land flowing with milk and honey. It's a wonderful land. God gave us this wonderful land, but He gave us really bad neighbors. He did. Think of their neighbors now.
Syria. Iran, the PLO. Who wants Yes, today, to destroy Israel and to drive the Israelis into the sea. Think of Hamas, think of Hezbollah, think of the suicide bombers who still hate Israel. The spirit of Haman is not dead and continues to this day.
It's satanically inspired. It's a sustained attempt to defeat the purposes of God. When we recently studied Revelation, we learned that Israel how Israel will be persecuted. by the devil and the Antichrist during the tribulation. But who will eventually win?
Heyman's satanic plot. Struck. at the Abrahamic covenant. which promised blessings. and greatness and land to Abraham and his descendants.
Psalm 105. Verses 9 and 10 make it very clear this Abrahamic covenant, which was passed on. To Isaac and Jacob, and write down, is the psalmist says, an everlasting covenant. And all of the hatred and the plans of Satan And all of the persecution of the people of God will not thwart the purposes of God. Isn't that amazing that Israel today still exists?
I am not saying that present-day Israel, everything it does, it does right. I am not saying that. But I am saying that the very fact of the existence of Israel today is a testimony of the truth of Scripture. That God takes care of his people and that God's purposes can't be thwarted by a haman. by an Antichrist, by a Hitler, by Hezbollah.
that no one can thwart the purposes of God. God does not forget. His promises to his ancient people. And this promises to them. And we know from Scripture, Paul makes it very clear in Revelation, in Romans 11, that in a coming day all Israel will be saved.
Because God never goes back on his promises, and God always watches over and takes care of his chosen people, even in the midst of the fiercest. and the most evil of opposition. And the God who watched over his ancient people At the time of Esther, and we'll see how God sovereignly resolves the seeming coming Holocaust as the same God. Who watches over you. And me.
Do you feel the pull of the world? Do you feel a hostility? You feel the attacks of the evil one? Do you feel mounting hostility against followers of Jesus Christ in your school, in your office, in this country? And their views and their values are attacked, don't be discouraged.
Don't be discouraged. God always takes care. of his people. We sang through every day or all the way, he will take care of you. God will take care of you.
He took care of his ancient people, and he takes care of. His people, the church. that we are dear to God. Remember Jesus said, there's not a sparrow that falls to the ground apart. From your father?
Are you not of more value than many sparrows? Do you think God is going to take care of you? Do you think God is going to watch over you? Do you think God is already a way ahead and you're worrying about that problem and that situation? And God is not only with us, He's ahead of us.
working all things For our good, for his glory. Working all things after the counsel of his will. And so as you go to bed tonight, and put your head on a pillow. If you're a child of God, sleep well. If you're not saved, don't sleep well.
I pray that you will be restless. I pray that you will have no peace. I pray that you'll be convicted by the Holy Spirit.
so that you will turn to Christ.
So that you'll be justified by faith and experience this peace. This God who keeps Israel is the same God who keeps you and me. The psalmist says in Psalm 121 that the God of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. Isn't that good to know? Never goes on vacation.
Never nods off. is watching over you. Every single moment. Yes, when we're sleeping. Yes, when we forget him.
Even when we go around where God's still, is watching over us. And the God who was a help in ages past is our hope for years to come. Our shelter. From the stormy blast and our eternal home. It isn't Paul who says, there is therefore now No condemnation.
to those who are in Christ. Jesus. Let's meditate on these things as we prepare our hearts And to remember how all of this was done, all of this was accomplished. Through our magnificent Saviour, our deliverer. Jesus Christ.
Our Lord. Father, we thank you for this. old story and a great reminder of your sovereign purposes. And we thank you. for your care over Israel.
And we pray. Father. that we will never panic. but that their faith in you will be deepened. As you watched and continue to watch over Israel, You watch over us, your church, that we are precious to you.
Encourage us, Father. May your grace be on us in Christ's name. Amen. This is the verdict featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? We're learning how foolish it is to oppose God. evil men like him and sometimes seemed to be in control. and it appears that nothing will stop them. Behind it all of course is our ancient foe, Satan himself.
who always seeks to thwart the purposes of God. But our God is sovereign and in control of all things. Make sure you're not opposing the purposes of God. Surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. Trust and love Him with all of your heart.
Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
